Also Known As: Corocotta, Crocuta, Kynolykos, Leucrocotta, YenaDescription: The
crocotta has the body of an extremely large dog, sometimes as large as a
mule. Its head resembles that of a hyena and it has cloven hooves, a
horse-like mane, and a tail that resembles that of a lion. Its fur
ranges in color from orangish-yellow to brownish-black and can include
spots or stripes resembling a hyena or tiger.BMA Classification: The Bureau of Monster Affairs classifies the crocotta as a monster. Powers: The
crocotta has the ability to mimic human speech and uses this power to
lure its victims to it, usually by pretending to be someone in trouble.
The creature often uses a voice that the victim recognizes and sometimes
calls the victim by name or includes other personal information in it’s
cry for help. Vulnerabilities: The
crocotta has no unusual vulnerabilities or powers. Although resilient
to damage, it can be overcome by conventional weapons. Biology and Habitat: Crocotta
can survive in any type of climate or terrain as long as there is
plenty of food available, but are most often found in areas where herd
animals like sheep, cattle, or deer are plentiful. They often make their
lairs in caves or abandoned buildings. Because they are so rarely
encountered in modern-day America, M-Force has not been able to
determine very much specific information about the creature’s life-cycle
and habits. Crocotta
appear to have animal-level intelligence, and their mimicry seem to be
similar to that of a parrot. However, their ability to mimic voices
known to the victim and in some cases use the victim’s name or other
personal information leads researchers to believe that the creatures
have some rudimentary form of telepathic ability. While
crocotta will and do eat humans, they seem equally satisfied with other
forms of meat and do not go to unusual lengths to find human prey.Sightings: Crocotta
are mentioned in the works of Strabo, Pliny, and other ancient
scholars, where they are typically reported as originating in Ethiopia.
The creature also appears in a number of medieval bestiaries. Most
crocotta sightings in the U.S. have been in western states, especially
Texas and Oklahoma. Additional Information:Body: 15Brain: 5Nerve: 12Job: Predator (13)Gimmick: Mimicry (13); Danger Sense (13)--The
crocotta’s limited telepathic ability allows it to sense whether a
potential victim is dangerous (which in the case of humans usually means
“armed”) by making a successful Gimmick roll. If the potential victim
is actively hunting the crocotta, the creature gets +3 to the roll.
Crocotta will not attempt to lure in or attack victims who are
determined to be dangerous (though they will defend themselves if
attacked). Weakness: NoneSkills: NoneArmor Rating: 2Damage Bonus: +2 (bite)HP: 20Yum Yums: 0Additional game information: Dogs
are terrified by crocotta. If a dog encounters the creature, it must
make a resisted Nerve roll against the crocotta. If the crocotta wins,
the dog is paralyzed with fear and cannot defend itself, fun away or
bark (including growls, yelps, and other vocalizations) for a number of
rounds equal to the difference in the rolls.